About Us

Discus – South Carolina’s Virtual Library is the “information place” for all South Carolinians. Discus, which stands for Digital Information for South Carolina Users, provides free access to an electronic library that’s available 24/7. The program objectives are fully outlined in the Discus Goals and Vision.

Discus is a collection of subscription databases with an array of resources ranging from books and magazines to maps and videos. This collection of databases provides high-quality publications in an easy to navigate format for students and teachers alike. Discus allows students to safely search for up-to-date information without sifting through advertisements and non-educational results found in search engines such as Google. Among the top reasons to use subscription databases is it prepares young students to find credible sources for later academic achievement.

The South Carolina State Library manages and administers Discus in cooperation with the state’s school, college, and public libraries. Discus is funded primarily by an appropriation from the South Carolina General Assembly in collaboration with the K-12 School Technology Initiative. State funding covers most of the database subscription costs. Additional funding from the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) also supports Discus. These organizations make it possible to provide Discus resources to the public at no cost.